EVANSVILLE, Ind. — An Evansville woman has pleaded guilty to illegally mailing hundreds of absentee voter applications before the 2020 Indiana primary election.
Jan Reed, 69, entered the plea Thursday to a single felony count of unauthorized absentee ballot in Vanderburgh Circuit Court, the Evansville Courier & Press reported.
Prosecutors said Reed mailed the absentee ballot applications with instructions leaving voters no choice but to participate in the Democratic Party’s June 2 primary.
Reed is due to be sentenced Tuesday. A judge could sentence her to between six months and 2 1/2 years. She also could receive a sentence suspended to probation, attorney Michael Keating. There was no plea agreement, he said.
Prosecutors filed the charge in May 2020 after the Vanderburgh County Election Board referred it to them with a letter outlining the legal case against Reed. It included samples of applications Reed sent to voters pre-marking for Democrats the section that allows them to choose a party.
Reed was working for the campaign of E. Thomasina Marsili, an Owen County Democrat who won the party’s nomination to challenge 8th District Republican U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon but lost in the general election.
